NOTICE: Principal Change
To: All Staff/Parents
From: Tom Newcome
Date: August 14, 2017
RE: OPLC Principal Position
On Monday evening, August 14, 2017, during the Board Work Session the Board Directors accepted the resignation of Mr. Frank DiLeo as Principal at Octorara Primary Learning Center.
In a subsequent agenda item on August 14, 2017 the Board of Directors approved the hiring of Ms. Krista Lease as the new principal at Octorara Primary Learning Center.
I have been in conversation with Mr. DiLeo since late spring about his professional goals and aspirations. Mr. DiLeo has expressed during these conversations his doubts about whether this is the place for him to be at this time in his life. He has been actively pursuing other options for his career. The responsibilities of a principal are a challenge and one must believe they are in the right place to be effective and to sustain the requirements of the position. Mr. DiLeo has come to the conclusion that it is in the best interest of the children, the staff, and him personally to step aside at this time. This was a difficult decision for him and he took the full length of the summer to wrestle with what he needed to do. Mr. DiLeo and I ask that this decision be respected.
During the past few months I have informed the Board of Directors of the possibility that Mr. DiLeo may leave his position. They have provided me with the authority to discuss filling the position with Ms. Krista Lease. Ms. Lease was fully vetted by the Board of Directors during the hiring process for the OPLC Principal position when Mr. DiLeo was hired. Ms. Lease has been highly influential in the management and leadership of the OPLC for many years and I am pleased that she is still interested in the position.
While contemplating the direction he wanted to pursue Mr. DiLeo has worked diligently all summer to assure that Octorara Primary Learning Center is ready for students to return to class. Additionally, Ms. Lease understands the operations of the school and her involvement with the operations of the school over the years makes her the perfect person to take on the leadership of the building at this time. The transition should be seamless.
On behalf of the Board of Directors I thank Mr. DiLeo for his three years of service on behalf of the children at Octorara Primary Learning Center. We all wish him the best as he pursues new avenues in his life. Additionally, the Board Directors and I welcome Ms. Lease in her new role as Principal at Octorara Primary Learning Center. We are fortunate to have her ready and willing to assume the leadership position at Octorara Primary Learning Center. The children and families she will serve will be fortunate to have her working for them.
Comprehensive Planning
Throughout the past months the administration has been working on revising the Comprehensive Plan for the Octorara Area School District.
The administration invited the Chester County Intermediate Unit to perform a curriculum and technology audit to inform their work on the Comprehensive Plan. Additionally, the administration sent out a survey, listened to focus groups, and did work with teacher leaders to advance their work.
As this work advances, we will keep a link to current draft copies of the Comprehensive Plan and a link to the Chester County Intermediate Unit audit report for easy access.
Click here for the Comprehensive Plan Draft
Click here for the Chester County Intermediate Unit Audit Report
